moosnsqrl

One thing I've never quite figured out is why college towns (I think Columbia qualifies) don't have better fine dining options. I think the professors would support it. I know college students have limited income, so an owner would have to find a way to generate volume without compromising quality. I also think there may be a market to partner with the educational institution in some fashion -- teaching business dining etiquette or something like that. ← I could never understand this about Lawrence, either. Not only professors but so many students who return from studies abroad to a culinary wasteland. Lawrence has gotten a lot better but it wasn't that long ago that you still couldn't get a decent meal. There were a few good places over the years but they were unable to stay open; the support just wasn't there.

Let me try this: I think that the ultimate margarita (formerly served at Cafe Las Bellas Artes, Elmhurst, IL--RIP) should taste something akin to a very dry Beefeter martini, up, no salt--not Minute Maid lime-ade. And I'm too opinionated to start a thread on this...I'll just drop hints and remain inscrutable. As for steaks--I agree that a real dry-aged steak is very hard to find because it is so difficult to handle the meat properly--a sprightly crust of mold can lead to spoilage if you don't know what you're doing. ← Add me to the "no idea what you mean" list. Is this the Twilight Zone forum or . . . . .? ← I'm afraid I didn't get the reference here and thought this was accidentally posted to the wrong thread. Hence my 'twilight zone' comment. I missed a couple of posts and didn't make the leap from best of KC to margaritas in IL. My apologies, Tracy K.

I'm embarrassed to admit how many times I had to read this before I got it. Wait, I haven't actually given a number yet.

no... haven't heard - but i'm cautiously excited - kansas city needs some injection of solid japanese food, imho. robata - that's my kind of grillin'! moosnsqrl and others - please keep us informed!! what's the website so that i can keep an eye out on it? u.e. ← www.narakc.com

I was given a business card for a restaurant that is probably a month or two from opening. To be located at 1617 Main, it is called Nara and the cuisine is described as "neojapanese + robata." The card thoughtfully explains that Japanese Robata is: ". . . traditional method of open-flame grilling . . . rooted in the fishing villages of rural Japan. Robata-yaki at Nara combines these historic methods with contemporary flavors for an extraordinary Far Eastern fare." Terry Barkley will be the chef. There is a website listed but it is under construction at present. This one has flown under my radar until now. Does anyone else have any info?

Since I mentioned this in my "Best of" picks I thought I would follow-up with the best currently available information. For those not familiar with him, Tim Doolittle made a name for himself on the KC dining scene in the tiny kitchen of the Stolen Grille. He followed-up with a turn at the City Tavern and has most recently been cooking at Le Fou Frog. There is a new restaurant in the works in Briarcliff Village, a Tuscan-themed mixed retail/office/residential development just north of downtown KCMO. The current ETA is for June of this year. I hope/wish that Chef Doolittle will chime-in here and discuss the concept, potential menu, decor, etc and keep us posted on the progress. Please join me in encouraging him to do so. C'mon Tim, don't be shy.

Merv's place (Scottsdale Hilton).

I have a business-related reception until ~8 and that is the only night I have to dine out on my own on an upcoming trip. That probably realistically means I couldn't get to a restaurant until 8:30 or later. Any suggestions of places that won't be locking up by then? Ideally ethnic but anywhere good, local. Price doesn't really matter. TIA.

May God rest her soul in peace for the joy she shared with her many food lovers. ← Amen. Thanks for letting us know and godspeed, Edna! I have a couple of friends waiting for you on the other side who lived for your kind of food. I'm sure you'll find them soon enough.

Well, the food might not quite be up to IHOP standards, but you can't beat the view at Sierra Mar at Post Ranch. I love to have lunch there - it's like eating at the top of the world. Nearby is Deetjen's which would also be a great place to stroll around with the family. I also suggest, while you're in the area, that you visit Earthbound Farm's Farm Stand. The season could be better for this, but it is open year-round, the farmer, Mark Marino, has gone out of his way to make it kid-friendly and it's just a beautiful place - one of my favorite places in the world. I think you and your family would enjoy it.

OMG, chefs are the most accessible practitioners/artists in the world. As long as you are mindful of their workload and aren't demanding attention to the extent it interferes with the preparation of other patrons' food, my experience is that they truly enjoy explaining the origin and execution of their dishes. I think the reluctance to approach them is more about timing than anything else. I consider a well-timed stroll through the kitchen an adjunct to a fabulous meal. Mind you, I don't consider it part of the tariff - there are times when it's inappropriate - but in most cases if it doesn't constitute an intrusion to doing business, most chefs are OK with it in my experience. That said, I would love it if chefs would weigh-in on if my beliefs are true or if you're really just biting your tongue and being polite.

I'm no chemist but I enjoy a variety of salts for different uses and I don't think it's all hype, since I don't buy pricey ones typically. I find a distinct metallic taste in average table salt and consequently carry salt (& pepper) mills with me at all times. It might just be me, but when I do succumb to the salt shaker on the table, it has a distinct taste that I don't care for. Right now, in my kitchen, there's a large-ish vessel of kosher salt near the stove, for most things, and smaller vessels of grey salt, pink salt and fleur du sel. If you pressed me to explain why I choose to use one over another for a specific purpose, I might/might not be able to articulate my reason, beyond experience and preferences. Before you decide whether to "buy in" to the whole salt thing, I think it's important to assess the relative importance of salt in your taste palate and life. I know people who have 4-5 kinds of sugar but, as I rarely use sugar, that is something I would not do. But I use salt in nearly everything and consider it an important element in the finished taste of almost every dish, so getting it right matters to me.

And all this time, my s.o. had me believing that I was the luckiest woman in the world.

Would you do it if they asked?

As green as a gourd (a rookie) Worth his salt Can of corn (easy baseball play) 'Tater (homerun) J'ai un faim de loup (I'm as hunry as a wolf) I could eat a horse He saved my bacon work for peanuts top banana

Is that how the saying goes? Oh my gosh, for all these years I've been walking around thinking it was that you COULD make a silk purse from a sow's ear! Sigh. That explains a lot. ← If you think you can, or you think you can't, you're probably right.

I'm sure your name will be somewhere on the list. No, and we actually had plans to go 3 nights ago but schedules did not allow. I love Jun. One of my favorite memories is of him leaving the restaurant to give us a ride home on NYE. We had tried to do the right thing - had a friend drop us off and take a cab home. After two hours of waiting for said cab, Jun took pity on us and piled us in his car. Now that's what I call service! He also loves golf and would always regale us with tales about the putt he just missed, etc. And he introduced us to a rather bawdy sushi "dish" but modesty prevents me from elaborating. That's the kind of guy he is, though. A very sweet man with an ornery little boy living inside of him.

***************************************************************************** After multiple attempts to reply to this gracefully, I am surrendering. I am pasting responses below with apologies. Something about all of the quotes is not working and I can't decipher it, but want to respond. Thanks to all for your patience and indulgence. Oh, hello (or ciao, or salve...do they still speak Ladin where you are?)! I remember reading about you in the paper a few years ago. Glad to hear you're still there and, presumably, well. I would love a full report, either online or via PM, on your family, business, etc. I will attempt to supply answers for your nostalgic picks. going strong; more outlets than ever, I think. Still never been, not sure I ever will. I'm sure it's good, just not my cup of tea. you and everyone else. It's still there; original owner died some time ago but it never ceased. I hear it was less-than-good for a time but a couple of hopeful reports of late. All still going strong. Most of the locals seem to prefer LC's and/or Oklahoma Joe's now. I try to stay out of the fray - emotions run too strong and what's the point in arguing? The original has been closed for some time. La Fonda el Taquito was opened by some of the next generation, originally on 39th, now at Summit & SWBlvd. I still like it (see my picks). gotta side with the Italians here. I've never "gotten" Minsky's but there are still several of them around so clearly it's my loss. no argument hope someone else can help here...no clue, sorry.Best Cheeseburger: Winstead's I'm listening! Tatsu is still going strong and has KC Toasters in Westport now (do a quick search for more info). There are some things happening on the left side of State Line now, though. Amen, bro. Charlene works at the podium at Lidia's these days. The "ridiculous thing" is still on the Plaza, defying the odds. Oh, how I miss the coffee (and later the food and the wine selection). Sigh.What about?????????????????????? gone, but Three Friends is still going original closed 12/31/05 for street widening; still looking for another location. There is one up north (on the way to Liberty) but... Club Royal I don't know; Jimmy's is kinda still going (it's the front end of Jazz now). Sadly Milton's has been gone for some time. It was immortalized in a number of ways, though, most eloquently in a book about KC Jazz by our own Chuck Haddix (with Frank Driggs). You are seriously challenging my ability to cope with quotes, amico, but thanks for checking in. Spero che tutto va bene.

you're no fun... seriously, if i had known that option was available, i'd have picked the same!! ← NOT AN OPTION!!! ← What can I say to make you believe me or understand? I either go somewhere that I really want to go to eat, or I go home and cook. There is really never a conversation that concludes with "oh, let's just go to ___" It just doesn't happen. If there's not something I want (typically something else on this "best of" list), I don't go out to eat. I guess that's why people think I am a a snob about "fine dining" but I see no reason to spend middling sums of money on mediocre food. I'm dining in, or I'm dining out. Sorry!

Let me try this: I think that the ultimate margarita (formerly served at Cafe Las Bellas Artes, Elmhurst, IL--RIP) should taste something akin to a very dry Beefeter martini, up, no salt--not Minute Maid lime-ade. And I'm too opinionated to start a thread on this...I'll just drop hints and remain inscrutable. As for steaks--I agree that a real dry-aged steak is very hard to find because it is so difficult to handle the meat properly--a sprightly crust of mold can lead to spoilage if you don't know what you're doing. ← Add me to the "no idea what you mean" list. Is this the Twilight Zone forum or . . . . .?

Who could pass up a really good deal on a pre-stained leather couch and matching recliner? No more sitting around wondering who will be the first to spill - that detail was already seen-to by one of the Costco Lounge lizards.

Costco is pretty hip to their customers wants and needs...if they catch wind of this, they'll probably add a degustation menu. Of course, it'll be for 25 people. This thread has cracked me up all day. I've never really paid any attention to the food court before. Now that I know the ins and outs (eat first, refill soda, ask to have the dog run through the pizza oven - maybe they'll add that as a POS item now, like BK's "off the broiler" option?) I'll be sure to check it out on my next visit. I think we're down to our last 8 gallons of laundry detergent. Maybe I'll run by there on the way home.

Do you have any openings there, Ronnie? I think I'm in the wrong business.

Sorry, it was that or leave it blank. I don't have one of those. not familiar - when did this pop up on the radar? fill me in!! I don't know which you mean...Krause's (Lawrence) has been open for about a year, I think. They started out in their house (a fabulous old home in east Lawrence) but some bureaucrat decided there was a code violation so they moved into a space that was formerly bleu jacket. He's CIA-educated and they do a variety of tasting menus. He recently purchased another building nearby and plans to reno it, add a residential loft and move in probably this summer. In any case, it seats 50 and they don't plan any turn - you're there for the evening. I think the standard is a six-course but you can, I think, do more or less if you wish. I've got to get over there so I can give a real report. Tim Doolittle has signed-on to chef at a new restaurant I *think* in the near north (Briarcliff, maybe?). I saw him last night and am kicking myself because I didn't go grill him for info, an ETA, format, etc.

Best Everyday Restaurant (i.e. cheap and easy): The grocery store, then home. Best All-around Restaurant (cost doesn't matter): bluestem [subject to changed Tuesday morning if that collection doesn't rock Monday night Zeemanb prays, I menace ] Best Breakfast: Tienda Casa La Paloma Best Barbeque: LC's (since Richard's has been gone) Best Mexican: depends on what I want (Rudy's for fish tacos; La Fonda el Taquito for the Mexican Plate, salsa naranjada, and cactus salad; Taqueria Mexico for basic, non-specific fare; the little place in the back of the market at 17th & Summit for the "real" stuff). And, since we expanded from Chinese to Asian, I would ask to do likewise here since I love La Parilla in Lawrence for pan-Latino cuisine. Best Italian: Lidia's Best Chinese: mainstream 'mericanized Chinese: New Peking, Red Fortune pan-Asian: Blue Koi Vietnamese: Saigon 39 Thai: Thai Paradise Best Ice Cream: I can't tell you the last time I had any but, if the category can be stretched a bit, the watermelon paletas at Relish. Best Cheeseburger: Westport Flea Market (soon to be a Hooter's ) Best French Fries: Le Fou Frog Best restaurant on the Kansas side (if your best restaurant pick was on the MO side): 40 Sards, Melbee's Most want to try: Robert Krause's, Tim Doolittle's restaurant-to-be